9: Seeking wealth

Night fell, and darkness enveloped everything, without a single ray of light.

Chen Yao, who had been diligently studying the Demon Sealing Saber Technique, finally stopped, closed the book, and savored its contents, then scratched his head: "How come I don't quite understand this?"

The Demon Sealing Saber Technique mostly consisted of illustrations, with one continuous move after another, and very little textual description.

Even with those few textual explanations, Chen Yao chewed on them repeatedly but still couldn't grasp their profound mysteries.

"Perhaps I need to find a saber and practice according to the diagrams?" Chen Yao thought, deciding to temporarily put aside the Martial Skill and wait to practice it another day.

"Even with my improved Aptitude and talent, it's still very difficult to understand the text…" Chen Yao murmured, "Was my Aptitude really that bad before? Naturally dull? It doesn't seem like it."

After a brief silence, Chen Yao suddenly understood: "I can't look at it this way. In this world, Aptitude might represent the speed of Cultivating one's Realm, while comprehending Martial Skills relies on… Comprehension Ability?"

"So my Comprehension Ability is very poor?"

"… …"

"It can't be very poor, can it? It's certainly not top-tier, but this doesn't prove my Comprehension Ability is very poor. It's a Heaven Rank Martial Skill, and I have no prior Martial Skill foundation, so it's normal not to understand it."

"If I had studied and comprehended Saber Martial Skills from the first to ninth orders, it definitely wouldn't be this difficult to read."

Chen Yao figured out the problem, but quickly realized that this issue couldn't be resolved in the short term. This Heaven Rank Martial Skill could only be temporarily put aside.

"That's enough for now. I'll focus on Breaking Through to Perfection first. Tomorrow, I'll sell the Medicinal Pill and then try to see if the High Grade Blood Replenishing Powder can directly improve to a second-order Medicinal Pill."

Under the cover of night, Chen Yao lay down and fell asleep.

For some reason, as soon as he lay down, Chen Yao felt a wave of exhaustion wash over him, and he couldn't help but murmur: "Does studying Martial Skills consume so much mental energy…?"

His consciousness gradually blurred. He vaguely heard faint noises outside, but his groggy mind prevented Chen Yao from reacting, and he quickly drifted into slumber.

He slept quickly and deeply.

… …

The next day.

As Chen Yao gradually awoke from his sleep, he felt a surge of strength throughout his body. As his eyes slowly opened, he realized he was no longer in the dilapidated temple.

In an instant, Chen Yao was fully awake, but he didn't make too much noise. As a Mortal Ninth Order, he possessed powerful strength, with a combat power of 70, so he wasn't very panicked.

Chen Yao looked at himself and his surroundings. He was tightly bound and haphazardly thrown into a corner. The surroundings were a sealed environment, a closed room with no windows.

"Am I… kidnapped?" After understanding the situation, Chen Yao felt a strange emotion, and at the same time, he instantly deduced the reason: "It must be that I was trading too frequently and got targeted."

"Good thing I leveled up with Medicinal Pills, otherwise, I'd really be done for."

As for who kidnapped him, they hadn't shown up yet, and Chen Yao couldn't be bothered to think about it. It was always someone from this town. No matter who it was, he had no fear; this was the confidence brought by 70 combat power.

Compared to the Zhao Family of Kang Town, who could be wiped out with just 30 combat power, how powerful could Lu Town be?

However, he did figure out one thing: he must have been drugged with some kind of sleeping incense last night. He couldn't help but think: "After all, I'm still in the Mortal Realm. Even at the Ninth Order, I can't resist some mundane methods."

At this moment, Chen Yao also felt that the pocket where he kept his things was empty. The High Grade Blood Replenishing Powder and the Heaven Rank Martial Skill must have been taken.

Kidnapping, extorting money, and then is it murder?

"How could I let you harm me!"

Chen Yao tried. The ropes were indeed strong, but they didn't do much against his powerful strength and could be easily broken free.

A rapid sound of footsteps interrupted Chen Yao's movements. He turned his gaze towards the source of the sound.

Soon, the door to the sealed room opened, and a middle-aged man entered. On closer inspection, wasn't this the owner of the East District Pharmacy?

"Alright, alright, every time I get Blood Replenishment Powder, I come to restock for you, and this is how you treat me, is it?" Chen Yao questioned loudly.

"Hmph hmph." The owner snorted twice, "Kid, you're still too young. You don't understand the dangers of the Jianghu. Today, I'll teach you a lesson."

"Don't worry, I'm not after your life."

The owner slowly approached, smiling wildly: "You have the goods, which is not wrong, but you don't have the matching strength, and that's where you're wrong."

"You're young and don't seem like someone who has practiced Martial Arts."

"I've also inquired around. You're not from Lu Town, nor from Kang Town. I even inquired in Yueming City, and you're not from there either."

"I also observed you. You've slept in the dilapidated temple for two nights without showing any disgust or resistance. This indicates that you are not from a prominent Family, and therefore cannot be a descendant of a Family from a more distant place."

"So I judged that you have no background whatsoever. At first, when you said you were an Alchemist, I was skeptical, but when I saw that Martial Skill, I confirmed it: you are not an Alchemist at all."

"Perhaps you were lucky enough to find a hidden treasure trove, where countless Medicinal Pills are hidden? Perhaps even Martial Skills, or other more valuable treasures."

The owner spoke at an astonishing speed, making Chen Yao's eyes fill with appreciation. This was simply the little rap prince of another world!

"So?" After listening to the owner's long deduction, Chen Yao calmly retorted.

This calm demeanor actually startled the owner. His eyes twitched, then he hardened his heart, reaffirmed his judgment, and said fiercely: "Stop trying to bluff me, stop pretending! Tell me the location of the treasure trove, and I'll let you go. Otherwise, you'll spend the rest of your life in this dark room!"

"Humorous." Chen Yao replied, then stopped looking at him and fell silent.

The owner was not in a hurry and watched him quietly.

One minute, two minutes…

About five minutes later.

The owner grew impatient: "Have you thought about it? Even if you don't tell me the location of the treasure trove, it won't harm me in any way. I can still live very well, but you will forever lose your freedom, forever be tied here. Can you bear it?"

"I can't bear it." Chen Yao replied, shaking his head, then added, "Come closer, and I'll tell you where the treasure trove is."

"Hmph." The owner took a few steps forward but didn't get too close to Chen Yao, maintaining a distance from him. "Don't play tricks on me, quickly tell me the location!"

"Alright." Chen Yao said slowly, "The location is…"

"Actually…" Suddenly, Chen Yao changed his tone, "There is no treasure trove at all."

The next second, Chen Yao had already broken free from the ropes. Exerting his full strength, he rushed in a single stride to the owner's face, extended one hand, grabbed him by the neck, and lifted him up.

"You… you?!"

"All these Medicinal Pills and Martial Skills, they are all…" Chen Yao looked at the owner with a smile, slowly saying,

"Conjured out of thin air!"